Chapter 97
“We took the children on a field trip today,” the director explained, her voice strained. “The caregivers were supervising them, but when it was time to leave, Little Crescent Moon and her caregiver were missing. Her phone was also off. One of the children said she saw them leave together… that’s when we realized something was wrong.” The field trip location was just outside North City, a forty-minute drive.
“We’ve already contacted the police, Miss Xu. I’m so sorry…”
Xu Jinnan closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down, the image of Bai Xiao’s face flashing through her mind. She hadn’t even had time to contact Shen Shu about the Weibo post, and now Little Crescent Moon was missing. This couldn’t be a coincidence.
Her fingers dug into her palms, the skin turning white.
A thought struck her, and she switched to speakerphone, sending a message to Shen Shu’s work group chat, tagging everyone.
“What’s the caregiver’s name? Do you have a photo?” she asked the director.
The name the director gave her wasn’t Bai Xiao.
“I do have a photo,” the director said, sending it. “We took a group photo this morning. She’s the one standing next to Little Crescent Moon.”
Xu Jinnan’s grip on her phone tightened. As she had suspected, it was Bai Xiao.
She not only took Little Crescent Moon, but she also went to Shen Shu’s fan meeting, she thought, her blood running cold.
“Viola, faster,” she said, her voice tight. “Ignore the traffic lights.”
She had left the fan meeting a little early, timing it so she would arrive just as it was ending. She hadn’t gone far, and it would only take her seven or eight minutes to get back.
But anything could happen in seven or eight minutes.
No one had replied to her message in the group chat yet.
She tried calling Tong Jia and the others, but no one answered.
—
At the fan meeting venue, the final segment had just ended, and Shen Shu, her hand resting on her chest, bowed slightly, thanking her fans. “Thank you for your support, and for all your hard work. I know you’ve done so much for me – airport greetings, online promotion, even dealing with those trolls,” she said, a warm smile spreading across her face, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
Her smile was infectious, and the audience cheered, their voices echoing through the hall, waving their light boards and banners.
“You’ve all been so dedicated… I don’t know how to repay you, except to work harder and become a better actress, worthy of your support. I hope we can continue this journey together, for many years to come,” she continued.
She wasn’t one for long speeches, her usual demeanor cool and reserved, but her heartfelt words touched her fans, who had always appreciated her sincerity.
They chanted her name, their voices echoing through the hall.
Shen Shu’s gaze swept over the crowd, her heart filled with gratitude. She had never imagined having so many fans, so much support.
While it felt surreal, it was also incredibly motivating.
Then, her gaze stopped on a small figure in the corner, waving excitedly at her.
Little Crescent Moon.
Shen Shu’s eyes lit up.
What was she doing here? Had Xu Jinnan arranged this as a surprise?
She glanced at the person standing behind Little Crescent Moon, their face obscured by a mask, their eyes crinkling in a smile, and assumed it was the new caregiver.
She didn’t see Xu Jinnan anywhere.
The host’s voice brought her back to the present, and she smiled at Little Crescent Moon, then turned her attention back to the stage, a strange feeling, a subtle unease, nagging at her.
Something’s not right.
—
The fan meeting ended, and Shen Shu bowed again, then stepped off the stage.
Tong Jia immediately rushed over, her face pale, her voice urgent. “We have to leave. Now.”
“What’s wrong?” Shen Shu asked, surprised, glancing towards where she had seen Little Crescent Moon, but they were gone.
“I just got a call from Xu Jinnan. There’s a… suspect here, at the venue. And the organizers received a call from the Special Ward. This person is dangerous. We have to leave through the back exit,” Tong Jia explained, pulling Shen Shu towards the exit.
“Wait,” Shen Shu said, frowning, a sudden premonition of danger gripping her.
“Shu Shu, a little girl named Little Crescent Moon gave me this note for you. She said you would understand. It’s a phone number. She’s so cute… Jia-jie, what’s going on? Why are you so pale?” Xinxin asked, hurrying over.
Tong Jia didn’t have time to explain, her mind racing. Xu Jinnan was always calm and collected; she had never heard such urgency, such fear in her voice. And she had repeatedly emphasized the danger.
She couldn’t risk Shen Shu’s safety.
Shen Shu, her heart pounding, took the note from Xinxin. “Jia Jia, wait,” she said, then quickly unfolded the small piece of paper.
A phone number.
—
The fan meeting had been held in the lobby of a twelve-story building.
As soon as Xu Jinnan arrived, she saw shattered glass on the ground near the entrance and heard someone shout, “Someone’s going to jump!”
Her heart lurched, and she looked up to see a woman standing on the ledge of a tenth-floor window, the broken glass framing her like a jagged, gaping maw.
Then, she saw the small child in the woman’s arms.
“Holy shit, call the police! She’s going to jump with the child!” someone yelled.
Little Crescent Moon.
Xu Jinnan’s blood ran cold, her ears ringing, the world tilting.
Besides Little Crescent Moon, she knew who else was on the tenth floor…
Shen Shu.
She had called Shen Shu two minutes ago, but the call had gone straight to voicemail.
Tong Jia had messaged her, explaining that the woman had demanded to speak to Shen Shu, threatening to jump with Little Crescent Moon if she didn’t come up.
They were already on their way up, with security.
Xu Jinnan ran towards the elevators, her trench coat billowing behind her, messaging Li Lan, sharing her location and opening a voice chat, asking Xinxin for details about what had happened, from the moment Shen Shu received the note to her decision to go upstairs.
Twenty seconds. Ten floors.
It felt like an eternity.
Finally, the elevator doors opened.
She didn’t have to look for them; a group of security guards and staff members were gathered outside a room on the tenth floor, their faces grim.
She heard a child crying.
—
It was a beautiful day, the sky a clear, vibrant blue, the warm sunlight streaming through the broken window of the tenth-floor office, illuminating the scattered shards of glass.
The woman stood on the ledge, her back partially against the window frame, her face half in shadow, half in light, the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth deep and pronounced, her gray hair gleaming in the sunlight, making her look older than she was.
She held Little Crescent Moon tightly in one arm, the child’s cries muffled by her hand, her small face red and blotchy.
A single misstep, and they would both fall…
“Just tell me what you want! Don’t hurt her!” Shen Shu pleaded, her eyes red-rimmed, tears welling up as she saw Little Crescent Moon’s tear-streaked face.
Tong Jia gripped Shen Shu’s arm, her own heart pounding. She didn’t know who the child was, but unlike Shen Shu, she wasn’t emotionally compromised. This woman had lured Shen Shu here, not caring about being discovered, her only goal to have Shen Shu come upstairs.
It was a reckless, desperate act, and Tong Jia was afraid she would do something drastic if Shen Shu got any closer.
“I do have conditions, but not for you. I’m waiting for Xu Jinnan,” Bai Xiao said, her hand gently stroking Little Crescent Moon’s stomach, her touch almost tender.
Just as Shen Shu was about to speak, they heard the clicking of high heels, and a hand grasped her arm, pulling her back.
Xu Jinnan stood in front of her, her face grim as she looked at the woman in the window. “The person you’re waiting for is here.”
Bai Xiao’s eyes, which had been dull and unfocused, sharpened slightly as she saw Xu Jinnan.
She smiled, her voice warm and friendly. “Hello, Xu Jinnan.”
She demanded that Tong Jia and the security guards leave.
They had no choice; Little Crescent Moon’s life was in her hands.
Only the three women and the child remained in the room.
“This is your child, isn’t it? I went through a lot of trouble to find you, even sneaking into the orphanage. But it seems I was overthinking it. There’s someone… better,” Bai Xiao said, her gaze shifting from Xu Jinnan to Shen Shu. “So, I thought, why not invite you both?”
Xu Jinnan’s grip tightened on Shen Shu’s arm, her voice cold. “What do you want?”
Bai Xiao, a small red mole above her eyebrow the only noticeable feature on her otherwise unremarkable face, smiled. “Choose,” she said.
“Choose what?”
Bai Xiao’s smile vanished. “Your wife, or your daughter. Choose one.”
Xu Jinnan’s brow furrowed, her gaze fixed on Bai Xiao, who seemed completely unhinged. She instinctively pulled Shen Shu closer, as if seeking comfort, as if the physical contact could somehow protect them from this madness.
Shen Shu felt Xu Jinnan’s hand, damp with sweat, her own palms clammy.
“I don’t have all day. The Special Ward will be here soon. I’ll give you thirty seconds. Either your wife comes here to take the child’s place…” Bai Xiao said, her hand tightening around Little Crescent Moon’s stomach, the child’s cries now faint whimpers, “…or I throw her out the window. Your choice.”
“No!” Shen Shu exclaimed, her heart pounding, tears streaming down her face as she saw the fear in Little Crescent Moon’s eyes, a reflection of her own childhood terror.
She was about to offer herself in exchange for the child, but Xu Jinnan’s grip tightened on her arm, stopping her.
“Why?!” Xu Jinnan asked, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and fear, seeing the madness in Bai Xiao’s eyes, the unwavering determination in her voice. She wasn’t bluffing; she was counting down.
“At least tell me why! Why are you making me choose?!”
She could hear the sirens in the distance, and she prayed they would arrive in time. If not, she would do whatever it took to protect Shen Shu and Little Crescent Moon.
“Xu Tao and the Xu family ruined my life! You’re one of them! Why shouldn’t you suffer too?!” Bai Xiao yelled.
“You sent my daughter to prison! And you think that has nothing to do with you?!”
Before Xu Jinnan could reply, she continued, “I can’t believe my own daughter lost to a useless waste like you! You’re the one in charge of the Xu Corporation now!”
Xu Jinnan’s eyes narrowed. Xu Li hadn’t known about her differentiation defect, had simply assumed she was a low-ranking Alpha.
And Bai Xiao was an A-class Omega.
So, in her eyes, Xu Jinnan was just a weak, insignificant Alpha, no threat at all.
“Twenty seconds,” Bai Xiao said, not forgetting her own agenda. She suddenly lifted Little Crescent Moon, her movement making both Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu’s blood run cold.
“I’ll take her place!” Shen Shu cried, her voice hoarse. “Let her go! I’ll do it!”
Xu Jinnan’s grip tightened on her arm, the pressure a painful ache in her own heart. “You’re not thinking clearly,” she said, her voice strained. “If you hate me, you should take revenge on me, not the people I care about.”
Shen Shu, hearing the coldness in her voice, looked at her, tears streaming down her face, suddenly understanding the fear Xu Jinnan must have felt when she had offered herself earlier.
She knew what Xu Jinnan was planning to do.
“Xu Jinnan… don’t,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
Xu Jinnan didn’t look at her, her gaze fixed on Bai Xiao, a cold smile twisting her lips. “You want revenge? Then take me! Not them! Have you even considered the consequences? If anything happens to either of them, I’ll make Xu Li pay! I’ll make her life a living hell!”
Her voice was chilling, the threat undeniable.
Bai Xiao paused, as if considering her words.
After a moment, she looked up. “Fine. Then find me a rope. You might be a weak Alpha, but you’re still stronger than me. I’m old; I can’t fight you.”
“Can you at least… loosen your grip on the child? Let her breathe?” Xu Jinnan asked.
Bai Xiao, her face contorted in a grimace, a strand of gray hair plastered to her cheek by the wind, like a silver thread, said impatiently, “She’s too noisy! Hurry up! I’m losing my patience!”
Xu Jinnan, afraid of provoking her, looked at Little Crescent Moon, her voice gentle and reassuring. “Little Crescent Moon, don’t be afraid. Auntie Nannan will save you.”
Little Crescent Moon’s eyes, wide with terror, met hers, and her whimpers subsided slightly.
Xu Jinnan slowly released Shen Shu’s hand, her gaze lingering on her tear-streaked face, her thumb gently wiping away a tear. “Shu Shu,” she whispered, “take Little Crescent Moon and leave.”
Shen Shu shook her head, unable to speak, her heart pounding with fear and a desperate need to protect both Xu Jinnan and Little Crescent Moon. She wanted to save the child, but she couldn’t let Xu Jinnan sacrifice herself. She would do it herself.
Seeing Little Crescent Moon’s terrified face, she had lost her usual composure, her rational mind clouded by a primal need to protect.
Tears streamed down her face, and Xu Jinnan, wiping them away, her own eyes filling with tears, whispered, “Be good. Listen to me.”
Their eyes met, and Shen Shu understood.
“Ten seconds,” Bai Xiao said impatiently.
Xu Jinnan turned and scanned the room, a storage space filled with discarded furniture and other items. She heard Shen Shu talking to Bai Xiao. “What do you want?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
As Xu Jinnan turned back, holding a nylon cable tie, Bai Xiao continued, “I want her dead. I initially planned to throw you both out the window, to make her suffer, but I was being naive… she was right. If you died, she would go after my daughter. It’s better if she dies. At least it will give my daughter and me some closure.”
It was a twisted logic, a chilling echo of Lu Yun’s own madness, their minds warped by years of abuse and manipulation.
“I’ll tie myself up. Let the child go. Once she’s safe, I’ll come over,” Xu Jinnan said calmly, stepping closer to Bai Xiao and quickly securing her own wrists with the cable tie, using her teeth to tighten it.
She hadn’t dared ask Shen Shu to do it, her own vision blurring as she heard Shen Shu’s soft sobs.
Shen Shu reached out and took her hand, and Bai Xiao, watching them, said, “I never thought I’d find someone so… sentimental in this family of monsters.”
Little Crescent Moon’s whimpers had subsided, her breathing shallow and labored, her small face pale. Even an adult would struggle to breathe with their mouth covered, let alone a child.
Both Xu Jinnan and Shen Shu’s hearts ached.
Then, Xu Jinnan’s hand was free, and Shen Shu watched in horror as she stepped towards Bai Xiao, her own legs feeling weak, her heart pounding.
But she had to trust Xu Jinnan.
“Let her go,” Xu Jinnan said, stopping a few feet away from Bai Xiao, her shoes crunching on the broken glass.
Bai Xiao hesitated, surprised by Xu Jinnan’s willingness to sacrifice herself.
She lowered Little Crescent Moon slightly, the broken window a gaping maw.
Xu Jinnan stood there, her feet shifting slightly on the glass-covered floor.
Bai Xiao, her gaze fixed on Xu Jinnan, momentarily forgot about Shen Shu… then she heard the sound of high heels against broken glass.
She turned around just as Shen Shu lunged forward, grabbing Little Crescent Moon.
As Bai Xiao’s hand, cut by a shard of glass Shen Shu had grabbed, instinctively recoiled, Shen Shu scooped up Little Crescent Moon and ran, stumbling and falling, then, ignoring the pain, turned back and yelled, “Nannan, come back!”
Bai Xiao’s face hardened, and she was about to go after them when a powerful wave of pheromones, like a tsunami, washed over her, her legs buckling, her body trembling, a primal fear gripping her, the instinctive submission of an Omega to a dominant Alpha.
Xu Jinnan had released her pheromones.
The sudden, intense surge was enough to incapacitate any Omega.
She glanced at Shen Shu, who, still holding Little Crescent Moon, had also collapsed to the floor, the sweet scent of vanilla filling the air, her own pheromones triggered by the sudden surge of Alpha dominance.
Xu Jinnan felt a tingling sensation in her own scent gland, but she didn’t have time to think, snapping the cable tie with a sharp twist of her wrist.
The broken tie landed on the floor in front of Bai Xiao, the clean break a clear sign it had been pre-cut.
She suddenly realized Shen Shu’s earlier conversation had been a distraction, giving Xu Jinnan time to prepare.
“You… you planned this…” she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.
Xu Jinnan had anticipated everything, from Bai Xiao’s motives to her potential actions, having formulated several scenarios in her mind beforehand.
The cable tie had been just one of her… props.
“You wanted to lure me here, to make a scene,” Xu Jinnan said, her voice cold. “You weren’t just after revenge against me, but against Lu Yun and the entire Xu family as well.” With Xu Jinnan now in control of the Xu Corporation, Bai Xiao, having likely learned about the company’s precarious financial situation from Xu Li, knew how much damage she could inflict.
While it seemed irrational, Bai Xiao had clearly thought this through.
As she had said, she hadn’t intended to let anyone go.
She had simply underestimated Xu Jinnan, who, having anticipated her every move, had deliberately pointed out the flaws in her plan, manipulating her into accepting the exchange – Xu Jinnan for Shen Shu and Little Crescent Moon.
She had even used Bai Xiao’s own prejudices against her, her assumption that she was a weak, insignificant Alpha, to her advantage, her true nature, her hidden strength, her trump card.
And she had also used Bai Xiao’s love for Xu Li.
Li Lan had shown her the surveillance footage of Bai Xiao visiting Xu Li in prison, and while Bai Xiao’s face had been blurred, the tenderness in her touch, the genuine maternal affection, had been unmistakable.
And after Xu Li had been taken away, Bai Xiao had stood there for a long time, her shoulders slumped, her body trembling slightly.
—
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Seeing her plan fail, Bai Xiao let out a guttural cry, her voice raspy with age and rage. “Then we all die!” she shrieked, lunging at Xu Jinnan.
Xu Jinnan didn’t flinch, grabbing Bai Xiao’s arm and throwing her to the ground, the broken glass digging into her skin, a long, red scratch appearing on her shoulder.
Bai Xiao, no match for Xu Jinnan’s strength, clung to her leg, her teeth sinking into the fabric of Xu Jinnan’s jeans.
Xu Jinnan kicked her away—
Bai Xiao rolled across the floor, landing near the broken window, her hands covered in shards of glass.
The sirens grew louder, closer.
She looked up, her eyes wild. “I’m not going back to prison! You can’t lock me up again!”
Xu Jinnan’s heart sank, seeing the look in Bai Xiao’s eyes, the desperate resolve as she climbed onto the window ledge, the broken window a gaping maw.
Just as she was about to jump, Xu Jinnan lunged forward, grabbing her wrist.
“Nannan!”
Shen Shu’s vision blurred, her legs giving way as she saw Xu Jinnan jump, her arms tightening around Little Crescent Moon.
Xu Jinnan’s hand gripped Bai Xiao’s wrist, the veins on her forehead bulging. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice strained.
Bai Xiao, her eyes wide, gasped for air. She had been ready to die, hadn’t expected to be saved, her body suspended precariously over the edge, a strange sense of… exhilaration coursing through her.
She looked at Xu Jinnan, her face flushed from exertion. “Even if you save me, I won’t thank you,” she said, her voice raspy. “The Xu family deserves to die. And you, as a member of the Xu family, you deserve to die too.”
Xu Jinnan didn’t reply. While she knew Bai Xiao deserved to be punished, she couldn’t just stand there and watch her die.
She pulled on Bai Xiao’s arm, trying to lift her back onto the ledge, when a sharp pain shot through her wrist – Bai Xiao’s fingernails had dug into her skin, like claws.
“The Xu family is evil! And you, as a daughter of the Xu family… even if I die, there will be others! Just you wait! You’ll suffer! All of you will suffer!” she shrieked, her voice filled with a chilling madness, her nails digging deeper into Xu Jinnan’s skin. “You’ll lose everything you cherish! Your loved ones, your child, everything!”
Xu Jinnan felt a searing pain, as if her wrist had been sliced open, and her grip loosened—
Her eyes widened in shock.
Just then, Li Lan, alerted by the firefighters below, burst into the room, followed by several officers.
She hurried over to Xu Jinnan and, without a word, pulled her away from the window, her hand gripping Xu Jinnan’s arm.
Shen Shu, handing Little Crescent Moon to Tong Jia, who had also rushed in, went to Xu Jinnan, her heart pounding with worry.
She saw Xu Jinnan’s pale face, her hand bleeding, her hair disheveled by the wind.
“Xu Jinnan,” she whispered, reaching out to her.
Xu Jinnan turned around, her eyes meeting Shen Shu’s, then she pulled Shen Shu into a hug, her face buried in Shen Shu’s neck. “Don’t look,” she murmured, her voice strained. “Don’t look.”
